The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-11-11

good takers, but they had sent about
the best they had. They seemed to be
a. bigheaded as the fruits they brought.
When asked how they sold the things
they had on exhibition, the reply was.
We don't sell them, come Friday and
Saturday and bring your baskets and
we will I'LL them for nothing.
We will begin where we begun to
look, and that was at the ostriches, of
which there were two. The man who
owned them was there ready to answer
all questions. Perhaps there is no
picture that 90 exactly represents the
original, as that of the ostrich. They
are not bird that it does to fool with
very much, as they can easily break
q mans arm with one stroke of their
wing. These were surrounded bya high
board fence to keep them from reach
ing over and taking chunks out Of
those who were within reach. Some.
times some. one would put hand on
the fence. when il they did not look out
they would be holding finger to keep
the pain down, from the bite of a bill
that is much like that of ducks, only
very much stronger. Their eyes are
very keen and bright, the top of their
backs was about 81 feet high and
broad enough for one to sit on comfort
ably, the legs are very strong and
seem abundantly able to support the
weight of a man, the neck 10 about q
feet longso that when standing erect the
bird is 8 feet tall. They are picked once
In nine months, the finest feathers come
from the under side of the wing,
which was new to US. The feathers are
now worth about IS dollars per pound,
they used to bring $50 dollars. but the
use Of other bird feathers has
the demand, 30 as to bring
the price down. The egg is about s
inches through, and about 8 inches
long and about the color Of q turkeys
egg.
The next thing was q turtle that
weighed 400 pounds, he could carry a
man with ease.
Then your humble servant with DR..
Wakefield, went for the grapes, many
boxes of which were being given away,
and such grapes, too. The kind sampled
was of a light green color and nearly
as large as q wild goose plumb, the
skin Is rather thick and tough, but the
meat is delicious. After eating all we
dared to, we went up into a large hall
where the exhibition Of fruits was.
Here a Single bunch of grapes of
the kind mentioned, was shown that
weighed Is pounds. The good books
tells US that the spies sent over by the
Israelites to spyout the Promised Land,
brought back bunch Of grapes that
they carried ON q stick across their
shoulders that reached to the ground.
While this bunch wouldn't hardly do
that, We wondered If the Jews that
went over to spy out the land didn't
get into the country around Los
Angeles, instead Of the other side Of
the Jordan. On the long tables were
spread several varieties Of grapes, none,
however, were 30 large and fine as the
ones mentioned. None interested us
80 much as the raisin grape, of which
they had samples both green and
made, packed in boxes ready to be
shipped. Your correspondent asked
the gentlemanly attendant at this ia
bic if he would explain the manner of
making raisins, he cordially complied.
The raisen grape is about the size of
the ordinary grapes grown in Kansas,
Is Of . dark brown color, and is delic.
ious grape to look at, which we did
not taste, as we did not wish , to tax
this hospitalitytoo much. He described
the cultivating of the vineyards, and
hen came to the process of making
raisins, which is as follows: When
the grapes are ripe enough they lay
between every or row "shades" the
north ends Of which are raised 80 as to
give . good slant to the south, the
grapes are then picked and laid on
these shapes one layer deep, and left
until the upper side IL nearly dry, then
they have q spare shade at one end and
90 along and turn the grapes on the
next slope onto it which brings the
other side of the grape to the sun
where it is left to dry Is before. When
sufficiently dry they are laid in boxes
and carried to the packing house, where
they are taken stem by stem and all
the imperfect and bad grapes are picked
of, then they are laid in layers in boxes
a we see them in any store: They are
pressed a half Of box at . time until
the box IL full when the boxes are
nailed up ready to ship. In reply to
question if there was any sugar used.
be said no, that often where the skin
'f the grape becomes broken, that the
uice would ooze out and dry down to
almost pure sugar. He said there was
! great dead Of work about the raising
and making raisins. In reply 70
another question said 1t was fairly |
Such apples, pears and peaches are
not to be seen every where.
The California pear Is about four